What's On?

City of Poets @ The Alexandra Dock Pump House Gallery (Dockside Drama Stage)

The great Australian poet Peter Porter called Hull the UK's most poetic city. This performance combines poetry and anecdote from many of the poets and poems that helped Porter to stake Hull's claim.

From Norse Saga and on to Chaucer; Andrew Marvel down to William Mason (who turned down the offer of poet Laureate); Stevie Smith and Philip Larkin; the catalytic Douglas Dunn who gave us 'Terry Street'; onto the serial award winner Sean O'Brien and Peter Didsbury (the guv'nor). Then Roger McGough, Tom Paulin, Andrew Motion all blew in before a mutiny and a car load of poets exploded onto the scene. Phew!

This is the Hull Fair of poetry: swings, roundabouts, candy floss, palm reading, loud music and garish lights, Bob Carvers and the big dipper. To nick a phrase from Keneth Tynan - if the English use words like misers then us 'Ull lads spend them like sailors. The History Troupe players will be in full voice. The performance will be around 65 minutes in length.